Marinella
by SamCreatesFanfic
Summary: Marinette is a 17 year old girl who is adopted by the mayor of Paris, making her "evil" stepsister Chloe a handful to deal with. She never has gotten a chance to go to school, so even though Chloe forbids it, she has the opportunity to meet friends and hopefully make it through the school year. When a school dance has gotten her flustered as she meets a dazzling prince named Chat
1. Chapter 1

Marinette's POV:

I just turned 8 years old, the soft, snuggly sheets of my bed cuddled me as I was purposely sleeping in.

I contemplated the day, planning out exactly what was going to happen: the smell of freshly baked cake and a door unlocking as they came back with my custom made cake, a warm gentle smile coming from both my parents faces as they both came up to my room and say, Happy Birthday Marinette! We love you so much!

Sadly, that day never came. I remember waking up at 12:00pm, thinking how long my parents must have waited for me.

I skip down the stairs to our living room, finding nothing but space, and a televised show going on.

I already knew what happened when I see the words, Parents caught in car crash; none survived; heart shaped cake sitting on the passenger's lap.

From that day, I was foster cared and eventually adopted by the Mayor of Paris.

Everyone would think it was an honor to be adopted by The Mayor of Paris, but for me it was tragic.

See, this so called Mayor, had a daughter.

A whiny, spoiled, rude daughter named Chloe.

Chloe made my life miserable. She made me cook, clean, and sew dresses for her. She even gave me a stupid nickname, "Marinella."

I did this until I, and I quote from Chloe, "Was pretty enough to even be seen going to the same school as me, not that I'm calling you pretty"

The day that I finally got to go to school, I put my hair into two pigtails, put on some pink leggings and a white shirt with cute little pink flowers.

I stared at myself hard until I braced myself to go downstairs. Waiting downstairs, was Chloe.

"Ugh is that what you're wearing!" she complained, "Those pigtails look childish, at least TRY to look mature. This is a mature school for MATURE people!".

I rolled my eyes and started heading toward the bus.

"Why are you going to the BUS?! Daddy has a limo waiting for us!", she said.

"Well I thought a bus would make me look like a normal person, and not look like a spoiled brat", I shot back.

I ran to the bus before Chloe could come up with a comeback.

When the bus pulled up to the school, I was shocked.

I've never been to a school after I was adopted, so I was stunned how impressive it looked.

Everyone looked so friendly, especially when I accidentally bumped into one and knocked all his stuff down.

I scrambled to pick them all up, and kept apologizing furiously.

"It's okay! You don't have to apologize, it was an honest mistake!", he shyly said.

I looked up to see two kind eyes looking down at me. He was cute, in a nerdy shy short of way.

I smiled and asked, "Hi, what's your name, mine's Marinette!" He blushed slightly and said, "My name is Nathanael, welcome to our school, you have a beautiful name!"

Hey guys, this is the first chapter done! This one with be focused on the story of Cinderella transferred to Miraculous Ladybug! Hope you enjoy, Chapter 2 coming out soon!


	2. Chapter 2

_Nathanael_. It just sounds cute.

I locked eyes again with him until he cleared his throat.

"Well I have to get to class, I'll see you later, thanks again for helping.", he said before giving a smile and walking off.

I stood dumbfounded until I hear a familiar, annoying voice coming toward me.

"Did I see you with Nathanael! Ugh you two nerds deserve each other.

I on the other hand would of-", she stopped mid sentence before turning around.

She screamed and ran away, running to a limo parked in front of the school.

I turn my attention away when I see a girl heading towards me.

She had autumn, wavy brown hair with glasses just thick enough to be nerdy.

"Chloe is such a pain, always chasing after Adrien, are you hurt?", she jokily asked.

"I'm fine", giggling, "What's your name? Mine's Marinette".

She laughed and said, "Mine's Alya, are you new?".

We both talked, instantly becoming best friends, and she explained the whole, social ladder. "Adrien and Chloe are at the top, people like you and me are in the middle, and people like Nathaenal are at the bottom.", she explained.

Wondering who this 'Adrien' was, we walked over to the limo parked out front.

Out came a tall, cool boy with blond locks and emerald green eyes.

I blushed slightly seeing him, but instantly fell out of it.

 _You're a servant Marinette, people like Adrien don't pay attention to you, at least with Nathaenal you have a chance_ , I thought.

Alya and I walked away, not caring about the popular kid, and the screaming fans around him, and just went to our classroom.

We both sat in the front row, as we saw a Dj sorta guy sit in front of us.

"That's Nino", she explained as she waved to him, "He's my friend, so technically he's your friend too".

I smiled at this, knowing on my first day I've met two possible long term friends.

Then comes the nightmare.

Adrien comes in, and despite what Chloe is screaming about, he sits next to Nino.

I try to ignore him as he turns around and introduces himself to me, as if it's that obvious I'm new, but I can't help but look him in the eyes.

His eyes are green, like shining, sparkling green.

 _Emerald_ green is how I would describe them.

I blush knowing how long I've been staring at him, and he looks away too.

He calmly talks to me like the I'm-staring-at-you incident never happened.

 _Dang he is so cute and sweet, he's like the perfect boy_ , I think stopping myself, _and that's exactly why he'll never like you_.

I look back and see Nathaenal who seemed to be staring at me too, and he looks away instantly blushing a bright red.

I blush too and giggle softly.

I look back at Adrien, who seems to have a scowl on his face, not wondering why I immediately asked him another question.

We seemed to be getting along, surprisingly, and it was until the end of the day that I couldn't help it.

It was raining, hard, and since Chloe had purposely left early without me, I had to walk in the cold, hard rain.

Trudging along the watery concrete, I heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, you know if you stay too long in the rain, you'll get a cold.", I turned around to find bright, emerald green eyes.

"Adrien!", I yelled in surprise.

He chuckled and offered his umbrella, which I kindly reclined.

"Well if you say so", he says. I start walking again until I realize that he was following me with the umbrella under both of our heads.

I didn't argue, but wondered why he was doing this kind gesture.

When we finally got to my house, I asked "Why did you do this, you know, sharing your umbrella?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "I found you interesting, I wanted to see how you would respond."

He then came close to my face, inches away, and asked "Why did you allow me to after rejecting my other offer."

I was blushing furiously now, but didn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me flushed.

"I was soaking wet and you had an umbrella, plus you would be wet too if I took your umbrella!", I explained, making sure he didn't get the wrong idea.

He smirked, "Okay, okay fine. Well then I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Princess"

It was 'Princess' that made me blush harder, which I didn't know was possible.

I ran into the safety of the Mayors house, and was smiling ear to ear.

It wasn't until I heard a whiny voice that I lost my happiness, " _Marinella_ , go cook me some sushi, and do my homework, or else I'll make your life miserable!", Chloe whined.

 _More miserable then now_ , I thought, doing her chores. Even Chloe couldn't make me stop thinking of Adrien.

But was Adrien making fun of me just because he knew I would fall for him?


	3. Chapter 3

Adrien's POV:

Being a fashion model isn't always glamorous. Either i'm bombarded with screaming fan girls, or I'm being suffocated by Chloe. Chloe and I have been childhood friends, so she automatically wants to be with me 24/7, but that also means she tells me everything. She just told me over text, that she has a new step sister who is coming to our school. She warned me she's a pain to deal with, so I was prepared to deal with a real demon, but she was an angel.

I can tell when people pretend to be nice, but Marinette was the real deal. She was sweet, genuine, and cute, so I automatically wanted to be friends with her. She was interesting to learn about, so when she started to stare at me, I stared back. She blushed in a cute short of way, and I realized her eyes were blue. Really blue, kind of like a bluebell blue is how I would describe it. I was shocked to find out she didn't care that I was famous or a model, all she cared about was learning about me, the _real_ me. Of course I might of over reacted when I saw her looking at another guy and blushing, I don't know what came over me I just started scowling and feeling a weird sensation in my chest. Marinette noticed my scowl but smiles and ignored it.

At the end of the day after we got to know each other, I could say she was my friend. It wasn't until I saw her soaking wet in the rain that I maybe...flirted with her a bit. She seemed sorta depressed to me, so I offered my umbrella. She kindly rejected the offer and gave me a heart warming smile. She started walking away, and before I knew it, my feet were moving after her. We shared an umbrella together until we got to Chloe's house. She thanked me for my kindness and asked me, "Why did you do this, you know, share your umbrella with me?" Before I knew what I was doing, I spat out some flirtatious joke and she blushed. She ran inside her house, rather quickly, and I started walking to my house.

 _Why am I thinking of her so much, and why can't I STOP thinking of her?_

Chapter 3 COMPLETE! I'll make some more chapters tomorrow, so have a good day! _God that sounded so dorky xD_ Sorry it was a bit short.

Edit: I'm sorry if this sounds weird! I'll try editing it when I have the chance, but I made this story soooo long ago that I can't help it if it's kinda weird.

Thank you for all the positive feedback and reviews. It makes me so happy reading them :3


	4. Chapter 4

Marinette's POV:

My mind kept going over and over the scene that happened with Adrien and I that day. Chloe sensed how happy I was, and tried to sap it out with chores she had planned for me. I did all of them with glee, thinking about Adrien.

His eyes gleaming over me, his hair brushing onto my face, his chuckle echoing through my ears. Anything and everything about him was perfect. The only thing that made me think was, why me? Why did he choose to walk home with _me_. He chose to flirt with ME!

But maybe he was joking? Toying with my feelings like I was just another girl, in another city who wanted to be near him, to hear him.

Maybe I was just another one of his many fan girls to him.

"No! I have to stop thinking about Adrien and focus on other, important, subjects!" I told myself, snapping out of my dreamlike state when I heard my cellphone ping. It was Alya.

"Hey girl! Adrien's having a fancy party over at his house today! It starts at nine o'clock, so you better be ready! Remember, it's formal attire, so don't show up in a chicken costume! See you then!" She quickly said, ending the call before I could say anything more. "Wait, tonight? I don't have anything to wear! Who plans a party at the LAST SECOND!" I screamed, getting some weird looks from Chloe. I smiled politely at her and threw myself down into the basement, aka my bedroom.

My bedroom wasn't special. The walls were lined with my different designs and pictures I had randomly drawn. Notebooks and papers were sprawled onto every bedside table and desk I had, having either scribbles or just blankness on them. Stored in my shelves were either books about art or the fabric I had secretly bought with the money I had earned from a secret job that I had quit a long time ago. Dummies were shoved into my closet, waiting to be tested on.

I rolled my chair near the desk, sticking myself on it as I grabbed and pencil and ruler. "Okay, let's see. I want my dress to have a nice scheme to it. Maybe.. a nice teal color? Plus I'll need it to not be tight or too loose. Do I have any satin ribbon left? Maybe I'll just stick a bow on it?" I whispered to myself, jotting notes down on one of my many artists notebooks.

I yanked of my dummies out of the closet and fashioned it to an angle. Pulling out my fabric, I cut strips of it into pieces I sewed together using a delicate black bobbin. Since I didn't have a sewing machine, I taught myself how to personally sew pieces of fabric together using an ordinary needle. By the time it turned eight thirty, I was fashioning it onto myself and looking. I hadn't put any makeup on, I didn't really care for it, and my wrists were empty of dangling bracelets that would annoy me later on. Though I was done, something seemed wrong. Missing from the dress.

"Ah! I know!" I said, rummaging through my closet once more. Deep in the bowels of my mess, I found, stored in the corner for protection, a box. I opened it up and brought out two pairs of red and black spotted earrings. I put them on and looked at myself. The earrings certainly didn't match with my dress, but they _were_ a gift from my mom, so I _had_ to wear them.

I looked at myself once more before sneaking downstairs. I saw no sign of the Mayor or Chloe, thinking it was my time to escape.

"And where do you think _you're_ going?" Someone said. I flinched and turned around. Chloe was standing there in one of her many designer gowns. She tapped her pointed shoe and raised an eyebrow. "You're _certainly_ not going to Adrien's party are you? Because if you are, I doubt you'll be able to. It isn't just me who won't let you go, it's the fact you're wearing something so _horrid_ too. What are those _earrings_? EW!"

"How DARE YOU! Okay I can handle you telling me off, treating me like I'm dirt, and being the WORST sister EVER, but you DO NOT talk about my mom's earrings like that!" I yelled.

Chloe grinned. "Oh I'm sorry! First of all, step-sister, and not by choice. Second, if that was your mom's, I'm sorry she died having horrible taste like that!"

Something in me snapped. I had dealt with Chloe's horrible antics, but this was the last straw. I pelted towards Chloe, ready to pounce on whatever of the gown she was going to have left, but Chloe beat me to it.

Chloe yanked my dress, tearing shred by shred off, untying all of the stitches that were secretly hidden in the dress, making it fall apart. By the end of her rampage, the only thing that was kept was my earrings.

"They're too horrid, I can't even touch them!" She said, sashaying off into her limo.


	5. Chapter 5

Marinette's POV

A shining light beamed through the entire house. I squinted my eyes, not knowing who or what would come out of it. The light would dim every once in awhile, making it easier to see the figure that was standing right in front of me. I assumed it was Chloe, coming back to taunt me more, or maybe it was the headlights of the limo that was slowly parking out from the driveway. Either way, I didn't feel obligated to try to see what it was.

I didn't look up, nor did I keep my eyes on the tattered dress in front of me. I just stared down, looking defeated and miserable. It wasn't until I saw long, dark strands of hair clouding my field of judgement.

I looked up.

The lady before me smiled, having on a bouncy red and black dress on and having her hair spiraling down her arms. It seemed as though red sparkles were surrounding her entire being. "Who are you..?" I asked.

"My name is Tikki. I'm your kwami!" She said, twirling around so I could get a closer look to her. Tikki had little red wings attached to her back as if they were natural, and they fluttered simultaneously every time she seemed to get excited.

"Wh-What's a kwami?" I asked once more, sitting up in fashionable position. "I'm summoned anytime someone needs my help. You want to go to the party, yes? We'll need to get you ready!"

"But my dress is shattered and Chloe will literally kill me if she sees me there!" I explained, picking up my earrings and strips of my dress to show her. Her face lit up. "Perfect!" She said, grabbing my earrings. I yelped in surmise, but Tikki took them and shrank into a smaller and cuter size. She looked exactly like a tiny doll!

"Here you go Marinette!" She exclaimed. I ignored the fact that she knew my name, though I had not told her. I carefully took my earrings and looked at them cautiously. "What did you do to them?"

Tikki explained the whole situation. I would put the earrings on and say the words, 'Tikki spots on!' and it would magically fit me into a dress and an unrecognizable mask. It sounded bogus to me, and the words I had to say seemed kind of weird, but I went with it anyway. She did add that I would have to be home by midnight, and if I didn't, my transformation would dissolve. The spots on my earrings would indicate how much time I would have left.

I slipped on the earrings one by one and yelled, "Tikki Spots On!"

Tikki disappeared, I looked around and saw her seeping into my earrings. I felt a twinge of panic, hoping that she was okay, but I hadn't had much thought before I was instantly transformed. A row of ladybugs came surging down my head, replacing my rugged hair into one braid, lined with red and black flowers. My face felt odd as a removable mask was draped over the barrier of my eyes, and moving down to my torso and legs, for which a black and red dress, almost as elegant as Tikki's, moved over my body. Two glass slippers fitted my feet, feeling oddly comfortable.

I stared in awe of myself before grasping something in the smallest pocket of my dress. I pulled it out. "A yo yo? What am I supposed to do with this?" I asked myself, swinging it around and around, before my instincts told me to fling it. I did so, and it landed on one of the roofs near the house I was standing next to. "Wow, this thing has some distance!" I pulled the string and the yo-yo pulled me across the distance, landing me perfectly on the roof.

"Wo-Wow this is cool!" I chuckled, flinging my yo-yo somewhere else. With each swing I was getting closer and closer to Adrien's house. "Well, I guess I will be attending!"

...

I don't exactly remember how or WHY I was put on house arrest, but I was. My father prevented me from attending my own party, locking me in my gigantic room filled with nothing but lonely distractions. Even Nino was to nervous to come in here, I mean it was intimidating.

One by one, I could hear the clanging of feet downstairs, people murmuring, and what I can only _assume_ was music. Loud, blaring music. It was my fault that my father was angry at me, I mean I did get him in trouble with his last date, but it wasn't my fault he was getting over mom so easily. She only died, what, a few years ago? He didn't even cry at her funeral! It was his fault that I'm so distant from him today, but did he have to throw it in my face that she was dead and I needed to 'move on'?

"Oh stop mourning kid, you've got a load of guests, and girls, to entertain down there!" Plagg said, coming out from his usual hiding place. Plagg was my so called, 'Kwami', though I liked to tease him and say he was my 'fairy godfather'.

"So kid, you want to transform?" He asked, flying about my room. Plagg asked me everyday since last week if I wanted to transform, and I'd always recline. He explained I could only transform once, then he would have to leave, so I'm saving it for a special time. Definitely not worth doing it for some lame party.

"No thanks Plagg" I said, fiddling with the silver ring that was basically attached to me at all times. I had stolen it from my dad. It used to be my mother's wedding ring.

"Are you sure? Didn't that Nino kid say he was inviting Alya? Marinette might be there~" Plagg teased, knowing Marinette was recently on my mind. "Marinette huh... wait Marinette?! Oh shoot! I forgot about that!" I said, fumbling out of my bed. "Plagg Claws Out!" I yelled.

"Wait Adrien, I thought you wanted to saaaaaaa" Is all I could hear from Plagg before he was sucked into my ring.

Dark shadows fell around me. My hair was slightly deformed, making it dirty blond and semi-long. Definitely longer than my usual hair. It surged down to my torso, creating a pitch black suit with small, green outlines marked in it, complimented with a green tie. Normal black dress pants and shoes covered my previous attire. A black mask covered my face.

The only thing that caught me off guard was the tail. Oh and of course the ears.

"Oh great, now I look like a real cat." I mumbled, fiddling with my leather strapped tail that was moving sideways on it's own. My ears perked up, hearing the loud music and yells of the people downstairs made them a little sensitive, but I was only looking to hear one person's voice.

I needed to find Marinette.


	6. Chapter 6

I broke out of my room by jumping out the window. Stupid I know, but I somehow landed perfectly without a scratch. I guess one of the many perks of being a cat.

Thankfully this was a opened invitation party, so everyone was welcome to it. I could easily get past the front gates without anyone questioning me or arresting me for breaking in. Hopefully Gorilla doesn't notice I'm gone from my room.

When I strolled into the hallway, I spotted at least a hundred people with different costumes lining up with different significant others. I focused on my main objective: Finding Marinette. Since I'd suspect she was going to be in mask and costume, I focused on her two main qualities. Her eyes and her hair.

I hadn't understood why those two body parts stood out to me. On anyone else they would've been just that, hair and eye color, but when I saw the way her eyes glowed and sparkled whenever she was happy; her hair looking beautiful even if it was soaked with water, I knew there was something wrong with me. No one else had made me feel as happy as I felt when she looked at me, talked to me. Even the mention of her name made me go crazy, my heart ached to see her face. It sounded creepy, but I wished I had a picture of her to stare at for hours on end. She made me feel that way.

I didn't understand it at first, maybe she made me happy because she was my friend. All my real friends made me happy, Nino and Alya for example, but I think it made me realize how hard I had fallen when she was looking at Nathanael. Her eyes twinkled and I saw the rosy color her cheeks took when Nathanael noticed her. I could tell from the way he looked away that he liked her too.

Maybe I'm just paranoid about how I feel, but I think I lo-

"Ouch!" Someone yelled, looking down in pain. My eyes turned wide as I repeatedly apologized. My daydreaming seemed to have pulled me out of reality. "It's okay" She spoke in a soft voice. "You didn't mean to." She looked at me. I don't know what came over me, but.. I started to flirt with her?

"No worries m'lady!" I started to say in my suave voice. I had two sides to me at all time. My normal side, and the side I never wanted to show. Usually it didn't show that much. Only once.

When I was with Marinette.

I looked up and down at the girl standing in front of me. Her black and red dress sparkled in the lighting, and it seemed I could hear her voice clearly, even through the music. "You look _Purrrrfect_ tonight." I flirted, rolling my r's. God, am I using CAT puns?! She giggled. "So, are you dressed as a cat? I guess I'll call you Chat Noir then!"

I blushed. "And what are you m'lady, a pretty little Ladybug? Is that your name?"

She smirked. "Shut up kitty!" She laughed and dragged me to the dance floor. We danced for a long time, though it seemed we just started. The longer I spent with her, the more I wanted to spend MORE time with her. My brain told me to look for Marinette, but my heart kept saying to stay with Ladybug.

I listened to my stupid heart.

...

I don't know how long I danced with Chat Noir. It seemed like ten minutes, but all his stupid puns seemed to last forever! He obviously wanted to impress me with his 'skillful' dancing, but I could tell this was his first time dancing with someone. At least dancing with a tail.

"I-I swear I'm more professional than this!" He said, slipping his feet from his tail and scratching his ears. I laughed. "Trust me, I've danced worse!"

Chat chuckled lightly, taking my hand once more after re-situating himself. He was nothing short of a gentlemen, he acted like a prince too. If it wasn't for his uncanny resemblance to someone else I knew, and the continuous puns he threw at me, I would've thought he was perfect.

But hey, no one's perfect, and I was fine by that statement.

"Hey Chat..." I whispered over the continuous blaring of the music, which died down for this one song. "Why are you dancing with me. You don't even know who I am, yet you trust me enough to be with you, talk to you, and even dance with you!"

He grinned and pulled me closer to him. "Well maybe, I know whoever is underneath that mask, must be the most beautiful, talented person I've ever met" He said. My heart pounded. Did he know it was me?

I glanced over Chat's shoulder and spotted Nathanael. I blushed for a sudden moment before Chat realized I was looking at him. He pulled my face right in front of his. He looked angry but sincere at the same time. He was so close I could've just kis-

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

I touched my earrings and saw there were only four spots left on it. "Oh shoot..." I said to myself, hiding my earrings. "What's wrong m'lad-"

"I have to go!" I screamed, dashing outside of the house with my yo-yo in hand. I could hear Chat's constant yells of panic, wondering what was wrong, but I had to keep going.

In the middle of my panic, I dropped my glass shoes, leaving one of them smashed on the ground, and one lying perfectly still on the pavement. I didn't have time to retrieve it.

I couldn't go back. I couldn't show Chat Noir who I was.

He would definitely be disappointed if it was me.


	7. Chapter 7

Immediately after my debut at the party, I swung myself home and collapsed on the floor of my bedroom. Tikki shot out of my earrings, coughing on the floor in weakness. I looked at her. "Tikki, there's some cookies on my desk. Eat them if you want."

I didn't look back at her, mainly because of my lack of energy, but I did understand that she needed something to retain her energy. I could hear the faint sounds of munching or the sighs of content. "You really like cookies huh?" I chuckled. I could only assume she was smiling. "Yep, they're my favorite food. You know Marinette.. usually after my uses, anyone would've just told me to get out, surely because I wasn't useful anymore."

I nodded, listening to her statements. "Well, you're still a human being. I wouldn't ask you to leave unless you wanted to." I dragged myself onto the edge of my bed, yearning for the bed sheets as much as possible. Tikki must of seen my struggle, and helped me onto the bed. "You should rest Marinette, my powers do sap a lot of your energy too."

She covered me up. I smiled. "You're treating me like you're my mother." I told her, snuggling up to the pillow next to me. I peeked over her shoulder and saw the glittering stars shining around the full moon. "Oh, I-I'm sorry!" Tikki said, backing up. I shook my head. "No.. I like it."

Tikki smiled. "Goodnight Marinette." She said. I frowned internally. "Goodnight Tikki". The idea she would be gone the next morning made me frown. I wanted her to stay. I wanted her to treat me like this like a mother would.

I wanted to protest, but my body put me to sleep as fast as it could.

I was in a grassy field. Flowers and weeds surrounding the area, covering my field of vision. The sky was clearly blue, not one cloud was shown over the boundless sky limit. A single tree stood closely near me, screaming at me to come over. My feet reacted before my brain could, making me walk over to where the trunk stood before me. The trunk was skinny, having long branches, branch out onto different parts, holding the many leaves that stuck them together. The leaves were slowly falling, for which I did not know of, but it seemed to be completely vacant.

I turned around and sat down to which my back was against the trunk. I closed my eyes and took in the breathless atmosphere.

"Hello m'lady"

I gasped and turned around, only to find Chat Noir hiding from the other side. He grinned at me. I desperately searched over my body to find nothing but my usual school clothes. He was talking to me as Marinette.

"Ch-Chat Noir! What are you doing here?" I asked, pulling my hair in nervousness. He chuckled. "Ladybug, do you love me?" He asked. I blushed. Why would he ask me this? Does he know I'm Ladybug! He walked towards me, gripping my wrist and pulling me up to where I can see him more clearly.

"Marinette, Ladybug, do you love me!" He asked again, gripping my wrist tighter. I whimpered, trying to get away from him. He yanked me closer to his body. "I love you Marinette. Do you?" He asked for the last time, pulling my face towards his. I answered truthfully as he was slowly putting our faces closer together.

"Yes"

I closed my eyes, waiting for him to either answer or kiss me. When he didn't I opened my eyes. He was smirking. He pushed me back onto the grass.

"Oh, so you'd pick me and him? Wow Mari, I didn't think you were such a player!" He said, dragging another person out from behind the tree. It was Adrien. Adrien looked angry. "You claim you love him, but you say you love another man? How hurtful of you!"

I shook my head. "That wasn't what I mean I..." He cut me off. "Save it, we don't need you, we'd prefer other girls. To tell the truth, we were hoping you'd end up like this."

I was hurt. I looked out into the distance and saw Nathanael, burning the journal that he had in his hands. I ran over to the book and saw that it had countless pictures of me. One in particular showed up that I had never seen. It was beautifully sketched, having decorations and sketch lines that beautifully countered the overall adaptation of it, but it burnt up the second I saw it.

I saw fire. Fire building up beside me, around me. Fire burning my vision and surrounding the sound. Fire, hot red flames gushing out from different corners.

Fire, everywhere, burning me.


	8. Chapter 8

I snapped my eyes opened and screamed, not caring who heard me or who wanted to hit me for waking her up from her 'beauty sleep'. I looked around the room, not knowing who I was searching for, but locked my eyes on one asleep Kwami. "Tikki!" I whisper-shouted, stumbling my way over to my desk. Tikki looked up at me at concern. "Marinette! Are you okay?" She asked, wiping away the tears that were streaked across my face. I didn't even notice that.

I was so happy that Tikki was still here. I guess she decided to stick with me. "Why were you crying Mari?" She asked. I winced at the mention of that nickname. A little image of Adrien came to mind, but then a picture of him glaring at me was replaced, along with a mental picture of Chat Noir. Nathanael even looked angry...

"Just a bad dream. I, uh, have to get to school!" I said, dodging the subject of explaining my dream. I yanked my hair back into my usual pigtails, strangling to get them to comply. I put on clothes that were definitely more comfortable than what I had on last night. My usual converse shoes were laced up, and my teeth were as clean as they usually are. I raced down the steps and through on my purse, hoping that I wouldn't catch Chloe. Thank god I didn't.

Today, my goal was to absolutely avoid Adrien. Maybe hang out with Alya and Nino, but completely avoid Adrien.

That probably wouldn't help, since he IS in my classroom.

"Marinette!" I heard Nathanael shout. I turned around and saw him running vigorously towards me, holding up his journal. The same journal I saw last night. I winced, preparing for him to throw it at me, though I doubt he actually would, it wouldn't surprise me if he did. When he raced up to me, I didn't expect him to do what he did.

"Marinette? Where were you last night?" He asked, gripping his journal in his hand. "Ohhhhh I... was sick. I didn't feel well so I decided not to go. Sorry Nath!" I lied. He grinned. "Oh, was that it? Then I can just give you this as a present!"

He handed me a picture of myself. I looked at it closely and realized it was the same one as in my dream. I flinched and stuck it into my pocket gently. I thanked him for the picture and started moving away. "Wait Marinette!" He yelled after me. I turned around again and he stuck something in my face. I moved away and saw it was a rose, full of thorns and all. He blushed and rubbed his neck. "S-Sorry it's filled with thorns. I got it from my mom's garden, so I thought you'd like it."

I blushed. "T-Thanks Nathanael!" I was generally excited. No one has ever given me flowers before. I brushed my fingers over the thorny rose, inspecting the soft petals. I said goodbye and stared at the flower as I walked up the stairs. I didn't even notice Adrien until he came up to me.

"Hey Mari!"

The mention of that nickname made me wince again, making me drop the flower. I cried out and bent down to pick it, but I tripped and ended up face palming on the ground. I heard Adrien yell. "Mari!" He yelled again, picking me up by my arm. I wouldn't blushed if there wasn't a humongous pain coursing through my arm.

"Jeez Mari, you're bleeding!" He said, seeing the many thorns dislodged in my arm. I looked up at him as he picked me up bridal-style and carried me to the nurse's office.

So much for avoiding him.

...

The nurse wasn't there, so he set me upon the bed that was laid out. I thanked him, signaling that he could leave without me, but he insisted on staying until she came. When the nurse didn't come after a long time, Adrien found it upon himself to pick them off himself.

"OUCH!" I screamed, tears rolling down my face. It was embarrassing for me to cry in front of him, but I couldn't help it. He didn't seem to mind.

After he picked out all of the thorns, an excruciating experience, he put a cloth around my bleeding area. "You have to be careful Mari." He said, his voice full of concern. I nodded and lifted up my arm to wipe off my tears. "No, I'll do it"

He lifted up his hands and planted them on my face. I blushed as he carefully wiped away the tears on my face, and the ones forming in my eyes. He stared at me. Actually, he stared at me for a long time. Like, a SUPER long time.

"So-Sorry" He said, breaking out of his trance. I put my other arm over my face to hide the blush. When I looked up, he seemed to be doing the same.

"A-Adrien?" I asked. He looked up. "Why did you host that party at such a late notice?"

He smiled. "I wanted to see you. I wanted to see you so bad, that I flipped out when I heard you were coming. The thing is, I didn't. I wondered why, I looked around constantly, but I couldn't find you."

"Now wait a second! I tried looking for you too! You weren't there!" I said, confused by the situation. He smirked. "Maybe, because you were to busy dancing with another boy."

Wait... what?

"H-Huh?" I asked. He laughed and walked up to me. Just like my dream. "You were probably dancing with the most _purrrfect_ boy in that party!" He said. It came to me.

"C-Chat?"

He smirked.

"What's up LB?"

A/N: I know the story is supposed to involve the shoe, but this is my story, and I say "This is what real love is BOI!"

*Drops mic*


	9. Chapter 9

I couldn't say that after we found out about our identities, that we lived happily ever after. No, that would've been great, but our story was not a fairy tale. This was real life. In the real world, we didn't get happy endings. There was always a twist.

And that twist, was growing up.

Sure, through high school Adrien and I had a great relationship, comfy but not predictable, and eventually when we took the college exams, we realized the we would have to end it. We were right. I took on a internship in Europe while Adrien pursued his modeling gigs in America. We were far apart, in completely different countries in fact. I had even dated a few men there, some successful and some horrible, but I was never satisfied with it. I wasn't pining to see Adrien again, but I had to admit that I missed him.

My job wasn't that great. The internship I took didn't lead me anywhere closer to my fashionista dreams, so even if I did quit it, I would have to find at least two more jobs to pay for my rent. I was barely making the deadlines as it was.

Hey, still better than living with Chloe.

Oh, and about Chloe, she tried to become mayor of Paris before she was caught cheating in the polls. Sadly, they didn't arrest her, but Chloe had to move out of Paris so that her reputation didn't spike lower than it already was. I rarely heard from Alya and Nino, though they did invite me to their wedding. Of course I accepted, though I had my doubts for a second when I walked into the venue area, wearing the nicest thing I had in my closet. It was given to me a long time ago from a past boyfriend, so I kind of felt awkward wearing it. It was beautiful at the time, a turquoise semi- short dress with a poofy exterior, and a white lace leading from my torso the thick straps that hung on my shoulders.

I put a small, white clip in my hair. During my stay in Europe over the past five years, short-bobs were all the rage, so to keep my reputation as a desperate intern, I cut my hair. Goodbye long hair and pigtails.

My eyesight had gotten worse over the years. I had gotten these square, thick rimmed glasses that showed off the inner nerd in me, and definitely didn't show how much I matured over the years. Not much I would say. I was still the hopeless Marinette everyone saw me as.

So when it was finally time to enter the building for the ceremony, I had taken a deep breath, pushed up my glasses, and strolled inside. I didn't take time to look around the building for I had been late for the ceremony itself. I had to get their extra early because I was chosen as the maid of honor.

"GIRL, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!" Alya screamed, looking back at me as the other bridesmaids put on her wedding dress. I grinned sheepishly. "Sorry!" I replied. She smirked. "Well if I'm gonna be going out there, you gotta help me with this dress first!"

I chuckled and rushed over, grabbing the veil off of the counter before putting it on her head. I tried fastening it so it wouldn't fall off. As I was doing this, I studied Alya's features. She had definitely gotten taller, unlike the bashful Rose who seemed to be as small as ever, and had gorgeous autumn hair that flowed freely down to her shoulders. Her dress was equally as beautiful, showing off every aspect of her grown body. Alya must of seen me staring.

"Nino picked this." She said, sounding a little out of breath from squeezing in her chest.

I chuckled. "Of course"

I looked around more. Rose had on, of course, a pink dress. It was definitely more dynamic than mine, having a really poofy skirt followed by a loose torso. It had little specs of glitter everywhere. Alix wore a deathly purple, followed by streaks of black or gray. Seems like nobody had changed that much. At least not personality wise.

"So, how is Nino?" I asked. "Oh here's fine, probably whining at his groomsmen that he's not prepared to get married or something. All guys do it, so I'm not worried. Adrien's probably handling his superstitions right now," I paused. "A-Adrien?"

Alya winced. "Oh yeah.. did I not mention that we invited Adrien? Well..."

"Surprise!"

 **A/N: Hey! So I was planning on ending it at chapter 8, but then I realized I could continue it on, kind of like an after story deal. I don't know if I should, so leave a review telling me if you do! I also have another story planned that I can't wait to post.**

 **See ya~**


	10. Chapter 10

It was already time for her ceremony. I think I was more nervous than Alya was. Compared to me, Alya seemed to act like getting married was just something she did every Saturday.

I hope that wasn't true.

Alya instructed to stand specifically next to Rose and Alix, pushing me towards that one area where all of the bridesmaids were waiting. As I stood awkwardly in front of all Alya/Nino's family and friends (which were basically mine too), I felt like someone was staring at me. It couldn't have been my parents, they were too busy with the bakery, and I hoped it wasn't Chloe. Oh dear god, please don't let it be Chloe.

I decided to sneak a glance at the pair of eyes that seemed to be seeping into my soul. It didn't feel threatening, so at least that was a good sign. I looked over my shoulder and found a boy, who _seemed_ my age, with thick red hair that easily covered his eyes.. When he caught my eye, he brushed a huge strand of his hair away, revealing one of his eyes.

"Nathanael" I whispered. I studied him more closely. He hadn't changed at all, having the same dorky expression every time he saw me. He seemed to look more confident, not looking away when he realized I _was_ looking at him. His eyes were a deep shade of blue, with hints of green lurking in his pupils. Though we had been apart for almost five years, it was like he didn't try to make a change to himself. Like he felt comfortable in the position he was in.

After a few awkward moments of staring, I first realized he was studying me too and how much I've changed, the ceremony started. I looked away from him and focused my attention to the door Alya was supposed to come through. The doors slowly opened, the wedding march started, the lights dimmed ever so slightly...

"Sorry I'm late!"

A man came crashing through the door, wearing a casual tux and sweating like he had just run from the top of the Eiffel Tower! I should know because once Chloe left me there as a "joke"...

"HEY! WAIT UP FOR ME!"

I cringed at that voice. Of course it was Chloe. I glanced over at her to find her draped against the guy who just barged it. He tried shoving her off, and with some support from surrounding friends he succeeded, and headed up next to Nino. Nino high-fived him and instantly went back to his position of waiting for his bride. I looked over at him. He looked familiar, though he had rugged blond hair and enchanting green eyes. I had seen my fair share of blondies and greenies, but his features seemed to start my thinking. He might of seen me staring at him, for he waved at me. I didn't know how to respond, so I avoided his stare.

Why did I feel like I knew him from somewhere?

...

During the reception, Alya and Nino were crowded by different family members, being him. "Really? I would've expected you would've had one. I mean, what guy wouldn't want you?" He said confidently. I smiled slightly, knowing it was a compliment, but it did sting a little. It's true that I was always dorky, but Adrien was the first boyfriend I had that fallen in love with.

"Heh, well I mean what about you? Don't you have a girlfriend?" I asked. He rubbed his neck in embarrassment. "K-Kinda, I mean yeah my significant other is here tonight. Yes." He dodged the subject and looked in another direction. I didn't give up. "Is it Alix? Rose? Oh my god, is it Chloe?!" I asked, poking at him like a child. He grinned and pushed my hand off. "God no. I'm not here with any of those girls..."

"What? But there aren't any other girls here! I mean besides Alya who obviously you're not dating...right?" I trailed off. "No no, I'm not dating Alya! Heh, I'm actually here with that guy." He pointed towards a tall, semi-buff guy who had black hair and brown eyes. He looked over at us and smiled. "You're with him? But that would mean..."

"Yeah, I'm kinda gay..."

I almost spit out my drink. "WHAT!? But didn't you used to have a crush on me?!" I basically screamed. "Well I guess the correct term is bisexual, but yeah, his name is Jason by the way."

"W-Wow that's g-great Nathanael! Where did you meet him?"

After that, Nathanael and I talked, mostly about Jason, but was interrupted when Jason excused himself and Nathanael. He took his hand and led him to the dance floor where they could dance alongside their friends (well, Nathanael's friends). They did get some strange looks, but they acted as if they were the only two people on the earth.

"Awww so sweet!" I squealed, hanging back by myself, watching both of them dance. I will admit, I was kind of disappointed that Nathanael wasn't single, much less with a boy, but I think they make a cute couple. "They do make a cute couple, huh?" I turned around and jumped back from who I saw. The same blond haired man that came tumbling into the church earlier. The same guy who was with Chloe.

"Uh yeah!" I responded. "I mean you should know from experience. How's life with Chloe?" I chuckled at my comment. Poor guy had to deal with Chloe probably every waking moment. "I guess it's fine, she's been clinging onto me since high school, so I get used to it. We're not dating though." He said.

He brushed his fingers through his hair. "But sometimes she can be a pain. Though _fur-real_ , she can _litter-aly_ be a pain." He said. I scoffed. "God, you sound like someone I used to know" I put my hand up to my mouth and giggled softly. When I looked up, he was staring at me with his glowing green eyes.

"What?" I asked, smirking. He laughed.

"Nothing. Nothing at all"


	11. Chapter 11

The man brushed his hair to the side, sipping the punch in his hand casually. It was a wedding, but we both didn't feel like it was the correct time to be drinking alcohol. I was always uncomfortable drinking it anyways.

"So, is your boyfriend here?" He asked me, for which I replied with a shaking of my head. "Nope no boyfriend here. Though I did break off a long-term relationship recently. Well.. not exactly recently, buuut you do get the idea." I sipped another taste of my punch as I fiddled nervously on my "well thought out" dress. Of course I decided to not wear contacts because I was practically begging for this guy to think of me weirdly.

"Weird. I've also ended a huge relationship say... seven years ago? She was definitely my first love so I didn't get over her easily. I even came to this wedding so I could see her again. I was told by the groom she was invited so I prayed that she came."

I smiled at him, but my heart ached all the same. I too had somehow wished he would've ended up here. "That sounds just like my predicament. Tell me, did you ever find her? The reception is almost over and I would hate for either of us to be disappointed. Maybe I could describe him for you and vice versa?"

He grinned back and asked me what my guy looked like. My heart raced as my mouth began forming words.

"His hair is the most beautiful shade of blonde I've ever seen. He's kind, but at most humble. He hadn't had much trouble getting the girls, especially since he was widely popular, but he never let that get to him. His emerald eyes shone through any darkness that my heart would put me through, and every time I saw him I swore I could see a red string attach itself around my finger and around his too. Like we were.."

"Soulmates?" He finished, staring at me way through my thick-glass framed glasses. "Y-Yeah.. how did you know?" I asked. He sat down his cup and walked towards me, his green eyes making eye contact. They weren't just green, they were sparkling.. like..like..

Like an emerald.

"A-Adrien?"

He grinned.

"Hello Marinette. It's been awhile."


End file.
